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It may be interesting to know from an academic standpoint, but I can't see where it would be relevant in actually choosing what model to buy.

I don't see it as academic. A manufacturer is saying it makes a real difference - is that real science or just marketing? Though I'm pretty sure increased velocity resolution isn't the first thing I'd fix in a looped instrument...

Dewster,There was early question about "what else is different about the action". I did my best to address it. You can believe if you wish that it is just marketing but many manufacturers have developed higher resolution key triggering systems to allow more precise control over the expression on an electronic instrument. Casio I believe is the first to do this under $1000.

That being said, this is not the "first thing" that Casio did when developing the new series. The first thing was to develop a proprietary new processor that would allow better, control, providing damper resonance simulation, access larger memory sizes, provide better effects and much more.

Hi, folks -my first post here ;-)I am concerned about the midi implementation on the PX-350:I own a PX-330, and was disappointed with the fact that incoming midi cannot control the high quality tones - the ones that you play from the PX keyboard! Incoming midi only controls the tone module for the auto accomp. The PX-330 actually has 48-parts (!) - but sadly only the last 16 is available to trigger from other keyboards. And those are the cheezy GM-ones....(I had to struggle through the PX-330 MIDI-implementation pdf to learn this:http://support.casio.com/manualfile.php?rgn=5&cid=008009141)

Does anybody know (Mike?) if this will be the same in PX-350? I often use multi-keyboard setups, and need the flexibility to trigger (the best) piano sounds from external keyboards. The midi implementation manual is not up on Casio's download site yet....

I own a PX-330, and was disappointed with the fact that incoming midi cannot control the high quality tones...PX-330 actually has 48-parts (!) - but sadly only the last 16 is available to trigger from other keyboards. And those are the cheezy GM-ones

I believe that is incorrect. You should be able to trigger any PX-330 tone from an external MIDI source (another MIDI keyboard or a sequencer) by sending the correct MSB with the Program Change on the desired channel. The MSB for each high quality tone is listed in the owner manual. No MSB (MSB=0) get you only GM. You have to send the MSB/LSB data in order to access all the tones on any instrument that has more than 128 sounds in it.

You are correct Scott, if for example you use Bank Select MSB 48 & program 1 you get the Modern Grand patch.But if you fail to provide a bank select, then bank 0 is the default and program change 1 gives you GM Piano 1.

My Sonic Cell does the same thing, if I don't choose a bank I get general midi only. Some controllers are much easier to set bank information. On my Kurzweil SP4-7, to get the Preset 1 bank on my Sonic Cell I have to do some arithmetic which ends up coming out to 5200. I don't remember the exact formula but it like Bank number MSB * 128 + patch number not very intuitive, but once you know it its not difficult. My guitar synth controller (axon) on the other hand has software that has separate entries for MSB and patch number. The software on it also reads cubase patch scripts and gives a drop down list in the software, sweet! And Roland has a cubase patch scripts for all of its products! That makes it dead simple to call up any patch and layer it with the internal synth sounds or other Sonic Cell patches. The Kurzweil is a nice controller but the external patch selection could be simpler and more intuitive.

Edited by Kbeaumont (09/18/1209:42 AM)

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A long long time ago, I can still rememberHow that music used to make me smile....

" ...if for example you use Bank Select MSB 48 & program 1 you get the Modern Grand patch.But if you fail to provide a bank select, then bank 0 is the default and program change 1 gives you GM Piano 1."

Of course it was the MSB message that was missing. Found it in the user manual. Seems I misunderstood the MIDI-implementation chart....sorry if I confused anybody. Now I can implement my PX-330 in my Mainstage setups - using "local off" and bank/prog changes, it's dead easy to quickly create and change multisplits/layers without having to dive into PX menus. Now the PX-350 is even more attractive with its new soundbanks!

Can you please tell me if any of the Casio px 350 buttons are able to assigned as midi functions? Specifically, the transports buttons ( play, stop, record). I'd like to use this kb together with logic 9 if possible.

The first of our PX-150's arrived. I unboxed one this afternoon and while a couple of things stood out to me, I am overall very pleased. I invite anyone who can to come down to try one. Coming soon to a dealer near you. It is quite different from the PX-130...really it's only the controls that seem similar.

No PX-350 yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

As someone else pointed out, I seriously doubt you see PX-350 on display at Best Buy though a few stores may try it out. But then at my local Best Buy, friendly though they were, they didn't even know were the power button was on the PX-130.

On a separate note, is there a reason you do not mention Casio and Roland in your signature?

And Yamaha as well. I guess it's less conventional on the Piano side of the forums. Digital sales is still quite a small part of our business but of personal interest to me which is why I participate here. Since I make it obvious that I'm a dealer, I hope there is no confusion over disclosure. I'll put some thought into adding it.

Originally Posted By: dewster

What were the couple of things that "stood out" to you?

On the previous PX-130 & 120, I was satisfied with the normal touch sensitivity, but I immediately had to change to the heavy setting on the PX-150. Also, the sharps were more textured than I expected. The location of the headphone jacks is great for an audio out but inconvenient for...headphones. I've certainly seen that on other slabs. And unfortunately, my display model arrived with a little ding on top.

The touted improvements were pretty easy for me to notice. The Concert grand sound is now much more detailed. The action felt firm. The satin finish is pretty and I love the new knob. I only had maybe 5 minutes with it so far.

I keep wondering why Casio and others won't include a digital sound output to the amplifier... Be it optical, coaxial or HDMI.In an old thread we speculated that maybe this was to prevent you from doing perfect digital recordings of the samples, but now that they have included perfect digital recording straight to USB... The lack of a digital sound connection to the amplifier is even more painful.

I keep wondering why Casio and others won't include a digital sound output to the amplifier... Be it optical, coaxial or HDMI.In an old thread we speculated that maybe this was to prevent you from doing perfect digital recordings of the samples, but now that they have included perfect digital recording straight to USB... The lack of a digital sound connection to the amplifier is even more painful.

Casios are always designed to be cost effective, so it is unlikely that they will add anything that requires so much as an extra jack unless they think it is a feature many people would want or might help convince them to buy. (And I'm not saying that adding digital out IS as simple as an extra jack.)

Personally, I wouldn't find a digital out very useful. What's your application for it? (I guess I'm thinking, if I was so concerned with recording pristine audio quality into my DAW that I wanted to bypass Casio's DACs, I'd just run a software piano in the first place and get a better piano sound besides!)

If they asked me for what I'd like to see added, it would be things that are more performance oriented. For example, many Roland and Yamaha pianos have had knobs or sliders that make it easy to adjust the balance of split/layered sounds as you play, I miss that. Or (especially on the more controller oriented PX3) it would be nice to see a mod wheel and a jack for an expression pedal. I think stuff like that would be more useful to more people than a digital out.

Personally, I wouldn't find a digital out very useful. What's your application for it?

Plugging the piano to my sound system without any interference or signal degradation.

The sound system is analog, though. So no matter what, you're converting digital to analog, and the DAC in your sound system isn't necessarily better than the DAC in the keyboard. Is it just a matter of avoiding cable issues? If that's the case, the best feature (for long, interference-free runs) might be to have a balanced output. Though you can pretty much add that with a direct box.

Hey, Mike, look for "Vika goes wild" on YouTube and try to get her on board. She's a piano goddess. She has an expensive Roland supernatural stage piano, and I'm wondering what she could get from the new Privias.

She has an expensive Roland supernatural stage piano, and I'm wondering what she could get from the new Privias.

Hard to tell if it's SuperNATURAL (sorry for the ALL CAPS, blame Roland) since it's an RD-700GX. Which is only SN if the SN expansion board is installed. It sounds pretty good, but as we all know, the main problem isn't at the listener side, but at at the performer side. I still feel like trading my NX for a GX right now